Watch for Canadians at NCAA tourney

If ever there was a year to check out the NCAA basketball tournament for Canadian content, this is it.

While dozens of Canadian players have been a part of March Madness in the past, never before have so many been key contributors.

In fact Syracuse, the West's No. 1 seed has two. Andy Rautins the 6-foot-5 starting guard, though born in New York State, is a Canadian citizen and national team member. He is the Orange's top outside shooter, one of its main playmakers and a steady defender. Rautins has gone from role player to lynchpin in a year.

He is joined by Montreal's Kris Joseph. The 6-foot-7 small forward, who has caught the attention of NBA scouts, will start due to the injury to big man Arinze Onauku.

Joseph left Montreal to play at a prep school lin Washington, D.C. Ironically, he will meet his older brother Maurice in the first round.

Maurice Joseph is the second-leading scorer and top three-point shooter for the Vermont Catamounts, who face Syracuse. Since Maurice is three years older, the brothers have not competed against each other in an official game since they were kids.

"It's got to be special for both, something they'll remember forever" Rautins said, admitting that he has played pick-up ball many times against Maurice, who he will likely spend time guarding Friday.

Amazingly, there is yet another Joseph competing in the West region.

That would be Devoe Joseph of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who take on Xavier in the first round.

Joseph, the cousin of Kris and Maurice, is a two-time Ontario provincial champion with the Pickering Trojans.

Though a natural shooting guard, Joseph has had to take over at the point for Tubby Smith's Gophers and has excelled down the stretch, making the Big-10 tournament all-star team and helping Minnesota to a 7-3 finish.

Canadian national team coach Leo Rautins is pleased to see so many Canucks excelling since so many have been relegated to NCAA benches in recent years.

"They are taking on critical roles and it's great to see," Rautins said. "If you look at Devoe, how he's grown, Minnesota wouldn't be there without him. Same thing with Kris and Andy and Robert (Sacre of Gonzaga)."

Sacre, a 7-foot centre from Vancouver, and his Gonzaga Bulldogs might be the most remarkable made-in-Canada story.

He's joined on the team by fellow Vancouverite Bol Kong, Kamloops, B.C.-native Kelly Olynyk, who spent some of his formative years in Toronto where his dad was coach at the University of Toronto, and Edmonton's Manny Arop, who will miss the tournament after fracturing his foot.

Olynyk and Kong provide depth off the bench for the Zags, while Sacre, who averages 10 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, anchors the defence.

But wait, there's more.

Montreal's Hernst Laroche has spent two years as the starting point guard for the 22-11 New Mexico State Aggies, who will take on Michigan State. The former Quebec provincial team standout is an excellent playmaker.

Hamilton's Tyrone Watson comes off the bench for the Aggies. Meanwhile, fellow Montrealer Francis-Cedric Martel is a role player for Richmond.

Finally, Marquette freshman Junior Cadougan was expected to compete for the team's starting point guard role, but suffered an achilles injury in the fall that kept him out for most of the season.

The highly touted Cadougan, a product of Toronto hoop factories Eastern Commerce and Grassroots Canada AAU, is not yet back to where he was pre-injury so only plays limited minutes.